Dating fellow tennis star is manageable, says Sharapova

Maria Sharapova has insisted it's "manageable" to date a fellow top athlete after her relationship with Bulgarian player Grigor Dimitrov set tongues wagging.

MELBOURNE: Maria Sharapova has insisted it's "manageable" to date a fellow top athlete after her relationship with Bulgarian player Grigor Dimitrov set tongues wagging.

"I think it's very manageable. We have a very hectic lifestyle and travelling schedule, but in a way, this is what we do and we have to accept it," she said, according to a News Limited report.

Sharapova broke up last year with Slovenian basketball player Sasha Vujacic, but her relationship with Dimitrov, nicknamed "Baby Federer" for his playing style, has been the talk of the tennis circuit in recent weeks.

"Relationships are important in life," she was quoted as saying. "Tennis only lasts as long as your body allows, and there is another step in life -- relationships.

"It's a matter of how you think and manage it."

Dimitrov has bristled at questions about Sharapova, calling it a "privacy invasion".

Meanwhile, former women's number one Caroline Wozniacki is usually happy to talk about her relationship with top golf star Rory McIlroy.